Starlink satellites - visible passes

[colin_p]

Looking at "Heavens Above" (HA) the satellite tracking website, for the first time in ages, it seems that we may have quite a show this evening, well possibly.

I've put my location into HA (East Berkshire) and it seems that there are going to be about 50+ visible passes.

I'm not sure if they will be visible as the magnitudes range from 2.6 to 3.1 but if they are it will be quite amazing.

I'll be listening to "Pearl Necklace" by ZZ Top on the Sony Walkman while I'm looking up.

[rovermorris999]

I think I've just seen them. Around 6am, almost overhead a tad south of me (I'm just south of the Humber estuary), heading roughly west to east. They're reasonably evenly spaced although to my eyes not perfectly and at least as bright as the brightest star. There was a smaller light close to one of them, either one out of position and further away or a piece of junk perhaps.
Fascinating to see but I can see why astronomers aren't best pleased.

Edited by rovermorris999 on Wednesday 29th January 07:09

[colin_p]

Excellent news!

I've yet to see them. When I posted the OP sadly it was cloudy and I've not had the chance since to check when they are next visible.

I was worried that they might be too dim to see but your observation is an encouraging one!

[rovermorris999]

You can't fail to see them if they pass over, such a bright, long chain moving quite fast so unmissable.

[anonymous-user]

rovermorris999 said:

You can't fail to see them if they pass over, such a bright, long chain moving quite fast so unmissable.

Are they only in a chain just after being launched? Or are they always in a narrow spaced chain?

Actually some good visual on heavens. above

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 29th January 12:11

[colin_p]

According to heavens above between 18:45 to 18:53 (on 29/01/20) we should have seen multiple passes overhead, some at 80 degrees+.

I had a look, a very good look but didn't see anything. I'm in East Berks which is bad for light pollution and it was a bit hazy overhead so maybe next time.

And next time probably go somewhere darker.

[marksx]

El stovey said:

Are they only in a chain just after being launched? Or are they always in a narrow spaced chain?

Actually some good visual on heavens. above

Edited by El stovey on Wednesday 29th January 12:11

I think they spread quite quickly. The batch launched on the 7th took ten minutes or so to go over when I saw them last week. If you looked at the same point of sky you would see one every second or two

[colin_p]

WOW !

I've just watched two parallel sets of satellites fly over, I lost count but there must have been 30+

Seeing these is just as spectacular as seeing the ISS.

I'm off to the Heavens Above site to work out what I actually saw.

[edit]

I think it was the Starlink 4 batch.

https://www.heavens-above.com/StarLink.aspx?launch...

Edited by colin_p on Sunday 29th March 21:13

[anonymous-user]

colin_p said:

WOW !

I've just watched two parallel sets of satellites fly over, I lost count but there must have been 30+

Seeing these is just as spectacular as seeing the ISS.

I'm off to the Heavens Above site to work out what I actually saw.

Starlink 38 of them I think.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

We were on here talking about it.

[marksx]

Hard to find on heaven's above. Each individual satellite is logged and it is difficult to I'd what is from which launch group.

I think there has been 3 groups launched now?

[colin_p]

marksx said:

Hard to find on heaven's above. Each individual satellite is logged and it is difficult to I'd what is from which launch group.

I think there has been 3 groups launched now?

Have a look at that link I've posted just above in my edit.

There is a drop down that allows you to view dynamically view each batch.

[anonymous-user]

marksx said:

Hard to find on heaven's above. Each individual satellite is logged and it is difficult to I'd what is from which launch group.

I think there has been 3 groups launched now?

https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/

This is a pretty good site for the casual viewer.

[2fast748]

Watched a load go over last night. They're like one them massive never ending freight trains you see in America.

I did notice a few seem to be running in parallel rather than in a line, I appreciate they are still positioning but it struck me as a bit odd.

[Beati Dogu]

No that's normal, and deliberate. They split each launch of 60 satellites into three groups of 20. Group one rises to altitude first, then the second, then the third.

Doing this means the orbits of each group naturally drift apart somewhat due to the Earth's non-uniform gravity having a greater effect on lower flying objects than higher ones. It's called nodal precession.

Edited by Beati Dogu on Monday 30th March 14:09

[AshVX220]

Just checked the App, there's quite a few visible passes over the coming days for the UK, nice a bright too apparently. Not sure how close the Starlink 5 train is to each other now though. I just set my alarm, for a pass at 04:38 tomorrow morning. (south coast, near Pompey).

[colin_p]

Last night at about 9pm'ish I checked Heavens Above and the sky was supposed to be full of them. Didn't see one as the moon was dominating the sky!

Actually, I saw a few but they were either lone starlinks or other satellites.

[Beati Dogu]

There's another Starlink mission due to be launched on Thursday April 16th at 10.31 pm UK time.

This is despite some other launches being disrupted due to "The Event".

The SAOCOM 1B mission for Argentina (the first with a southern, polar trajectory from the Cape for 60 years) has already been delayed due to pandemic restrictions (in Argentina).

Even a military flight has been put back a couple of months. This one with a GPS satellite for the US Air Force was supposed to launch at the end of April. It'll probably launch in July instead.

[thebraketester]

I saw them about 2 hours ago. Amazing sight.

[nellyleelephant]

Just watched them pass, didn't count but must have been at least 15-20. In two minds about it, amazing to see but it's going to play havoc with deep sky astro photography!

[thebraketester]

nellyleelephant said:

Just watched them pass, didn't count but must have been at least 15-20. In two minds about it, amazing to see but it's going to play havoc with deep sky astro photography!

Incredible wasn’t it.